The Death of the Necromancer

Rating:
Summary: A cross-genre novel of intrigue and skulduggery
Review: To make a comparison to movies and TV this novel is like 'Ocean's 11' and 'The Mummy' meet 'Colombo'. Its an odd mix of genres that in the end works out well. The main character, Nicholas Valiarde is a tad too much hyper competent but aside from that I enjoyed this outing in the world of Ile-Rien. If you are currently reading 'The Fall of Ile-Rien' trilogy then this book should also be read as the events here eventually do have some impact on the story in the later novels. Now we just need to get 'The Element of Fire' by this author back in print to complete the Ile-Rien sequence.



Rating:
Summary: Great book! Deserved it's Nebula nomination!
Review: Wells is a fine writer gifted in the choice of words. Necromancer is nearly flawless except for a few scenes which tend to drag eventhough they are meant to keep the reader on the edge, example the escape under the prison cells which I feel is a trifle too long. The plot is riveting but for me the story scores on the characters. Whether primary or secondary, each character is wonderfully developed, each one with a life of his/her own. The protagonist, Nick and his compatible and strong lover, Madeline, are especially likable. So is Ari, the sorcerer, though I wish Wells has concentrated more on him. Madeline's powerful "witch-grandmother" is another endearing character though short lived. Overall a tremendous effort!